Category Archives: Football

My Agathokakological Sports Saturday

Basketball, Fandom, Football

Though Dylanian in the elegance of its poesy and the truth of its message, the phrase comes from the intro to a TV sports show.

Wide World of Sports.

Iconic Jim McKay’s voice over the opening credits.

Who can shake the image of that ski jumper careening off the launch ramp, a Irish hurler being dropped by an errant swing. Pele’s ecstatic leap into a teammate’s arms after a big goal for Brazil?

The phrase lives Methuselahian in the lexicon of athletics.

The thrill of victory.

The agony of defeat.

My Louisville Cardinals 81, Virginia 67.

Thrill of victory.

My Detroit Lions 31, Washington 45.

Agony of defeat.

A healthy helping of both. Continue reading My Agathokakological Sports Saturday →

Monday’s Pigskin Palaver

College Sports, Football

Allow me to begin with yet another shoutout to Bronconagurskius for his beneficent ways.

I’m a worrier by nature. Most all the time I need a dump truck to unload my mind.

And Sunday, you know in my neck of the woods. Stress. Power. Cable. In addition to the usual daily stuff that plagues me while not bothering most sane folks.

But there it was beginning to end, my Detroit Lions on the telly, turning the Vikings into what my mom would call hochflesh.*

*Which essentially means something like the chicken parts she tossed after conjuring her chicken soup from scratch. Including plucking the feathers of the fresh bird. True.

Twas a glorious 31-9 evisceration, allowing the Lions a week off and home field advantage through the conference playdowns.

While DC Aaron Glenn is receiving most of the postgame acclaim — deservedly so, his plan was brilliant, genius — I want to start with Detroit GM Brad Holmes.

Who has fashioned a franchise rebuild that would put Holmes on Homes to shame.* Continue reading Monday’s Pigskin Palaver →

U of L CardFile: Sun Bowl W

Football

May the Schwartz be with you.

Yes, I know Carter Schwartz’s much needed 54 yard punt, downed by Kris Hughes at the UDub three yard line, was not the play of the game.

But, it’s bowl season, the Cards played guys we’ve never heard of, the Huskies have a dy-no-mite real rookie QB — clearly star of the game — the game was entertaining . . .

. . . and U of L won.

35-34.

After Antonio Watts made the true play of the game, breaking up Washington’s attempt for a deuce to win it in regulation.

So yeah, I went full on Space Balls. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Sun Bowl W →

Friday Noise & Nonsense

Basketball, College Sports, Football

Be still my beating heart.

My favorite Cardinal pigskinner ever, Teddy Bridgewater is joining my Detroit Lions as Jared Goff’s backup.

Let’s hope he never has to play.

Let’s hope he fashions the most unique double in the history of football. Coaching a HS state champ, getting a Super Bowl ring that same season.

Teddy B is not the only U of L connection on the Lions. Among the 19 Lions on the IR is one Jaylen Reeves-Maybin. Son of Cardinal Marques.

 * * * * *

Seems there’s an equivalent in the college ranks to Lions’ innovative OC Ben Johnson — the leader in the clubhouse dubbed Next Big Thing.

His name: Will Stein. Continue reading Friday Noise & Nonsense →

Tuesday Noise & Nonsense: 12/23

Football, Volleyball

I recently happened upon a truly quirky, unique, irreverent, seriously funny short series on Peacock.

“We Are Lady Parts.”

It’s about a group of young Muslim women in a punk band.

Like I said, unique.

Anyhow, in the last episode of S1, the group — Lady Parts — is playing a gig at what appears to be an industrial dump of some sort. Like I said, quirky.

Along with their usual tunes about killing their sisters, Voldemort hangin’ out under their head scarfs, they cover “We Are The Champions.”

Which brings me to this: One last tip o’ the chapeau to the U of L Volley Girlz.

The University of Louisville volleyball women are not NCAA champions.

Technically. Continue reading Tuesday Noise & Nonsense: 12/23 →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: CFP, R1

Football

There’s one reason and one reason only why this post, this predictions exist.

Joey the Vig.

Real name: John Wagner. May He Rest in Peace.

It was his annual bowl pool which I’d banter about yearly. And enter with some success and way more failure.

Until it ended a few years back after his way too early, way too young, and therefore untimely demise.

He was just a good damn guy, a former HS math teacher who loved spread sheets and being an interlocutor for various wagering endeavors among his ever increasing cadre of guys and gals who loved some action. Bowl pools. Baseball pools. In season football pools.

John would take a minimal slice off the top for his efforts. What he loved more was the interaction of his acolytes. The keeping track.

And he loved that somebody a few states south of his Michigan home had turned him into a fictional mythical icon.

So, John, with tears in my eyes, I advise these picks, as silly as they may be, are for you, my man.

This weekend’s Round Uno winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: CFP, R1 →

Fun is Bowling

Football

This time of year is ever the moment to memorialize one Claude Poulan, who while supervising German prisoners cutting pulpwood in East Texas in the 40s sorta kinda mighta actually developed/ invented the chainsaw.

Then in Shreveport, started a company producing chainsaws.

Then, in a perhaps logical, more than likely circuitous progression the company began to sponsor the Independence Bowl.

At least for awhile.

While I am loathe to provide adverts when not being paid to do so, so marvelous is the monikor, Poulan Weedeater Independence Bowl, I can’t help myself.

May the name R.I.P..

That particular encounter is now sponsored by Radiance Something or Another. The funkiest tie in these days, one dude’s opinion, the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl.

Though it hardly stands out that much from the various and sundry scrimmages named for tax prep apps, insurance companies, cities, vacation housing providers, financial institutions, TV services, gas stations, tire brands, some doohickeys or another which remain elusive to define even after googling them, and of course most famously these days, food stuffs. Continue reading Fun is Bowling →

Monday Noise & Nonsense

Basketball, Football

Here’s where the mind of a certifiable thrice-diagnosed hoopaholic goes.

Down an absurd peripheral rabbit hole.

Eventually to a challenge for you my loyal readers.

Sunday night I get an email from inveterate cheesehead Bookstore Billy, weighing in on the unis of the Seahawks who are playing his beloved Packers.

“There is and has never been a uniform as ugly as the Seattle Seahawks tonight. Beyond Gawdawful.”

Neon lime green.

Who am I to disagree?

But . . . and here we go . . . I seemed to recall how at the end of maybe the ’12 hoops season, some yahoo idiot at adidas decided to outfit that company’s sponsees with some pretty absurd outfits. With but a peripheral connection to actual school colors.

Notre Dame wore unis, the color of which was mighty close to what BB was referring to viz a viz Seattle.

And now fully in pursuit of Alice down that rabbit hole, I recall how U of L was ordered to wear unis that were, uh, orange. I believe it was that foretelling but surprising season when the Cards ended up in the Final Four, falling to the eventual national champs.

Plus those unis, if memory serves, were t-shirt style. Continue reading Monday Noise & Nonsense →

Seedy’s Thursday Noise & Nonesense

Basketball, Football,

You don’t need me to remind ye fellow bronconagurskians that the sport we cherish, college football, has gone wack a mole cwazeeee!

It’s like walking down the midway of the Shelby County Fair, that sideshow ping pong ball souvenir in your jeans’ back pocket, and all of sudden the place goes William Castle nutsarama.

The Tilt A Whirl flies off its bearings. The Bearded Lady starts running amok wanting to kiss everybody carrying four foot stuffed bear in their arms. The corn dog you bought actually has some taste to it.

Nothing makes real sense anymore.

But nothing, nothing at all, nothing we could have ever fathomed is as cockamamie as this, which I shall dub The Great Tar Heel Experiment.

72 year old Bill Belichick, who has never coached a college football game in his entire vaunted HOF career, whose bestie Nick Saban said “I’m outta there,” has taken on the task of being North Carolina’s football coach.

Uh, what?

You fuggin’ kiddin’ me?

No.

Wilkommen to berserkamania, fans. Continue reading Seedy’s Thursday Noise & Nonesense →

Pigskin Palaver: Picks & Playdown

Football

Oh how the mind goes.

Thinking I’d missed all of Saturday’s title jousts except the Quack, I was going write about it being Comeuppance Saturday, not Championship Saturday.

I was going to lede with a c d take on T.S.

This is the way the season ends/ This is the way the season ends/ This is the way the season ends/ Not with a bang but a whimper

Which of course I threw in anyway, even if it doesn’t actually apply. Continue reading Pigskin Palaver: Picks & Playdown →